If We Don't Win Tonight...

[AUChizad]

Fire Lebo NOW, midseason. The season will be unsalvageable anyway.

Auburn, LSU match winless SEC records tonight

By Phillip Marshall, Senior Writer
Posted Jan 20, 2010
Copyright © 2010 AuburnUndercover.com

News Image
Auburn coach Jeff Lebo/Todd Van Emst

At least it should be a competitive game. Auburn and LSU, the only two teams winless in Southeastern Conference play, meet tonight at the Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge.

Auburn is 9-9 and 0-3. LSU is 9-8 and 0-3. After tonight, somebody will at least have accomplished something.

The Tigers came close to pulling off an epic upset Saturday, rallying from a 19-point deficit to pull even at 60 before falling 72-67 to No. 2 Kentucky. LSU? The Bayou Bengals, losers of six of their last seven, haven’t really come close to anything in SEC play. They’ve lost their three SEC games by 14, 17 and 9.

Auburn coach Jeff Lebo, in his sixth season, said his team gained some confidence in taking Kentucky to the limit.

“We were down 19,” Lebo said, “and really cut it against the No. 2 team. To tie it and have a chance to win it at the end says something about where we can be. We still have to be more consistent in some spot.”

To win on the road, Auburn will have to deal with senior LSU forward Tasmin Mitchell, averaging 16.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Junior guard Bo Spencer averages 15.1 points per game.

Senior point guard Dewayne Reed continues to lead Auburn in scoring at 16.2 points per game. Sophomore guard Frankie Sullivan averages 13.7, senior forward Lucas Hargrove 12.9 and senior guard Tay Waller 11.5.

Auburn will be without freshman Kenny Gabriel, who suffered a sprained ankle against Kentucky.

Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

[Saniflush]

Drop the hammer now.  No need to wait.

We may be able to pick up Roy Williams pretty cheap, very shortly.

[AUChizad]

Drop the hammer now.  No need to wait.

We may be able to pick up Roy Williams pretty cheap very, here shortly.

I'd definitely take him if we really had a chance.

I'm not above rummaging through UNC's garbage (in basketball).

[War Eagle!!!]

I'd definitely take him if we really had a chance.

I'm not above rummaging through UNC's garbage (in basketball).

I think he was kidding...

[AUChizad]

I think he was kidding...

I know. Just sayin, if we did actually have a chance with him, I don't care how bad he's fucking up at UNC, I'll take him.

[Tarheel]

Drop the hammer now.  No need to wait.

We may be able to pick up Roy Williams pretty cheap, very shortly.

There's a lynch mob forming on Franklin Street already in case we get clobbered by Wake Forest tonight; and we're about to drag Dean Smith out of retirement!

What a remarkably BAD season so far...I have no enthusiasm any more!  We're beyond playing this badly even after loosing the seniors that we lost last year including Psycho-T!  And the Tarheels are beyond the excuses of "it's a year to build the team".  (sorry just had to vent a little...)

[Saniflush]

There's a lynch mob forming on Franklin Street already in case we get clobbered by Wake Forest tonight; and we're about to drag Dean Smith out of retirement!

What a remarkably BAD season so far...I have no enthusiasm any more!  We're beyond playing this badly even after loosing the seniors that we lost last year including Psycho-T!  And the Tarheels are beyond the excuses of "it's a year to build the team".  (sorry just had to vent a little...)

Welcome to our world.

[Tarheel]

Welcome to our world.

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

[Saniflush]

"I reject your reality and substitute my own."

Whatever you say Mr. Savage.

[AUChizad]

Evan Woodberry agrees...

Is tonight a must-win game for Auburn's men's basketball team?
By Evan Woodbery
January 20, 2010, 6:53AM

A victory tonight against LSU won't change the season. It won't put Auburn in post-season contention or give the Tigers a shot at the SEC crown.

Even three games into the season, I think most are aware that those goals have long since lapsed.

But a victory tonight against equally woeful LSU could stem the tide of losses and help prevent a challenging season from becoming a miserable one.

Here's the advance I wrote for the game, which is tonight at 7 in Baton Rouge.

If there's one saving grace for Auburn this season, it's that the SEC West -- with the exception of the two Mississippi schools -- is really bad.

Here are the SEC's RPI rankings, courtesy of CollegeRPI.com, a great site that I encourage you to check out.

1. Kentucky 10
2. Tennessee 15
3. Vanderbilt 22
4. Ole Miss 44
5. Miss. State 47
6. Florida 76
7. South Carolina 82
8. Georgia 90
9. Alabama 91
10. Auburn 172
11. Arkansas 179
12. LSU 183

Yes, that is the SEC West bringing up the rear. The other interesting thing about these RPI figures is that if the NCAA tournament started today, the conference would get five teams into the field. Maybe the days of the SEC getting six or seven teams invited are over for good.

After LSU, Auburn travels to Nashville for a very good Vanderbilt team. That makes a win tonight even more important. Otherwise, the Tigers are staring an 0-5 start in the face

[Kaos]

I think we should wait and see. Blueprint. Facilities. Injuries. Rebuilding.

Unlike Prowler's bullshit double speak, I very clearly told you all two years ago that this was a fail. And you wanted to argue. And bitch about my shit colored glasses. Or accuse me of being the problem because I wouldn't suck your koolaid.

We could have already had this rectified. But no.

When are you going to learn? Kaos knows.

[Kaos]

FUCK

Brando just said Auburn can't compete in basketball unless we cheat.

And he said high school players grow up wanting to play for Alabama. Really? Because they are such a basketball power?

Fucking fool.

[Tarheel]

phuk

Brando just said Auburn can't compete in basketball unless we cheat.

And he said high school players grow up wanting to play for Alabama. Really?  Because they are such a basketball power?

phuking fool.

 

I couldn't help it.  That's fucking hilarious.

[jadennis]

There's a lynch mob forming on Franklin Street already in case we get clobbered by Wake Forest tonight; and we're about to drag Dean Smith out of retirement!

What a remarkably BAD season so far...I have no enthusiasm any more!  We're beyond playing this badly even after loosing the seniors that we lost last year including Psycho-T!  And the Tarheels are beyond the excuses of "it's a year to build the team".  (sorry just had to vent a little...)

I hope you're 99.9% kidding.  I mean, you have 6 losses, but again, half are to top 5 teams, 2 others are to ranked ACC teams, and the 6th, while it shouldn't have happened, was to a Bobby Cremins coached C of C team that just happen to hit truck load of 3's while you went cold down the stretch.

All is not lost.  All of these tough losses now will make this young team better come tournament time.  I mean seriously, Williams has won two national titles in 6 years in Chapel Hill.  It took Dean Smith 36 years to do the same thing.  Part of me wants to say "and I know he's no Dean Smith"...but the truth is, when it's all said and done, Smith is likely no Williams in some regards.

Williams already has a higher career winning %.  He's been to 7 Final Fours to Smith's 11, but in only 21 years (to Smith's 36).  Ultimately I don't know that either will be considered any better than the other, as they will both go down as two of the best ever.  But after 21 years, Williams is on pace to pass Smith in nearly every category you can measure (assuming he wants to coach that long).

I'll end with saying....I know you know all that, and I know you don't really want to fire Roy Williams.  I just like Williams and think the fact that he's the second winningest coach at Kansas and North Carolina is simply amazing.

[AWK]

FUCK

Brando just said Auburn can't compete in basketball unless we cheat.

And he said high school players grow up wanting to play for Alabama. Really? Because they are such a basketball power?

Fucking fool.

He also said that Ole Miss would win the SEC this year. (football)

[Jumbo]

He also said that Ole Miss would win the SEC this year. (football)

He was clearly right about that.

[Tarheel]

I hope you're 99.9% kidding.  I mean, you have 6 losses, but again, half are to top 5 teams, 2 others are to ranked ACC teams, and the 6th, while it shouldn't have happened, was to a Bobby Cremins coached C of C team that just happen to hit truck load of 3's while you went cold down the stretch.

All is not lost.  All of these tough losses now will make this young team better come tournament time.  I mean seriously, Williams has won two national titles in 6 years in Chapel Hill.  It took Dean Smith 36 years to do the same thing.  Part of me wants to say "and I know he's no Dean Smith"...but the truth is, when it's all said and done, Smith is likely no Williams in some regards.

Williams already has a higher career winning %.  He's been to 7 Final Fours to Smith's 11, but in only 21 years (to Smith's 36).  Ultimately I don't know that either will be considered any better than the other, as they will both go down as two of the best ever.  But after 21 years, Williams is on pace to pass Smith in nearly every category you can measure (assuming he wants to coach that long).

I'll end with saying....I know you know all that, and I know you don't really want to fire Roy Williams.  I just like Williams and think the fact that he's the second winningest coach at Kansas and North Carolina is simply amazing.

I've been meaning to reply to your post for several days, just busy lately.  Yes, I do appreciate what you're saying; I was only 99.7% kidding.

But it is a damn frustrating season so far and seeing the injuries makes me wonder if there's a shoe problem (just half kidding there) what with Tyler Zeller and Ginyard having some foot and ankle problems in addition to Drew and Davis having some of the same problems in the GT game.

Anyway, I guess we'll see how things go...not looking forward to facing Dook this year...as with teh bammers they'll be insufferable if they beat the Tarheels twice.

[jadennis]

I've been meaning to reply to your post for several days, just busy lately.  Yes, I do appreciate what you're saying; I was only 99.7% kidding.

But it is a damn frustrating season so far and seeing the injuries makes me wonder if there's a shoe problem (just half kidding there) what with Tyler Zeller and Ginyard having some foot and ankle problems in addition to Drew and Davis having some of the same problems in the GT game.

Anyway, I guess we'll see how things go...not looking forward to facing Dook this year...as with teh bammers they'll be insufferable if they beat the Tarheels twice.

The injuries/issues are interesting, but you know how that goes...sometimes they come in waves, and sometimes everyone stays healthy (and you win titles).  I would go ahead and just dial down the expectations for this year.  You obviously have a youth problem, not a talent problem.  A lot of times freshman come in and just roll with it, and sometimes they come in and play like freshman....they're not all John Wall or Carmelo.  And aren't some of your 2nd and even 3rd year players getting some of their first real meaningful minutes, having sat behind all that talent in the last two years?

My guess is they'll come around, still win 20-22 games before the ACC tournament, and finish with at least one NCAA tourney win (extending Williams's streak to 21 straight years with a tourney win). 

Not very exciting, but hey, you can't be on top every year.  Next year and the next year should be big, with 2 five star guys already committed for next year and two more already committed for 2011.  If Williams has talent, he'll win, just don't forget that in the big picture.